


Breaking Routine

by GalaxyCuup



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Development, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fight Scenes, Fluff, Human Zim, Invaderswap AU, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Physical Abuse, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, Trauma, Verbal Abuse, ZADF, ZaDr, Zim is still egotistical but he's got more anxiety in this, irken dib, irken gaz
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-02-24 17:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21641416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyCuup/pseuds/GalaxyCuup
Summary: The new kid in class, Dib Membrane, is deathly talkative and way too friendly for Zim's tastes, but, they say opposites attract, don't they? And is that any different for an alien and a human with completely different intentions?
Relationships: Zim/Dib
Comments: 57
Kudos: 319





	1. Change is Hard

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to thank all my friends from one of the ZaDr servers I'm in for encouraging me so much with this and believing in me. I also need to thank my friend @EmeraldTooth for helping me write the first part of this when I was getting stuck. She's been a huge support and I ESPECIALLY have her to thank for this story/AU becoming a reality.

Class hadn't even begun yet, but Zim was already dreading it. His green eyes gazed over the classroom as students sluggishly began to fill in the seats. 

Something about today was different- not the dread, that was the same- but as if something new would break the routine. Everyday was monotonous; Zim would find himself alone for 1st and 2nd hour, lunch, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th hour, and then again at home. His parents might barge into his bedroom to scold him for something he didn't do, but that was instead his sister's fault. Every day was just like that, but now…

Zim was staring off when, suddenly, Ms. Bitters began hissing over the phone. 4 fingers drummed impatiently on the desk, while her other hand gripped the phone and shook so hard her knuckles went white. A hush fell over the half-full classroom, sleep-deprived teens sharing anxious glances with one another.

Ms. Bitters had a fit of outrage as she slammed the phone down some time later, but Zim's attention was placed on the unfamiliar person standing in the doorway. Zim could recognize everyone in high school, despite failing to befriend any of them, but this person was like no one he'd seen before.

The stranger had chai colored skin, maroon eyes- wait what? _Maroon eyes_? Was that possible? Zim squinted, discreetly looking him up and down as Ms. Bitters held up to her name, "I find it offensive to even be saying this, but we have a new, horribly hopeless teen joining this class." The new kid gave an awkward wave, shifting uncomfortably as the now-full classroom half paid attention to him. "Dib, if you have anything to say, do it now or forever hold your tongue." hissed Ms. Bitters.

Dib opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he decided against it and simply took the open seat beside Zim. _Why is he so short?_ Even sitting, the top of Dib's head met just above Zim's shoulder. For a fleeting moment, Zim contemplated making an effort to become Dib's friend, but then he remembered all the times he’d tried with other peers, only to have it backfire. People had already made their minds about Zim, so he’d made his mind, too. 

The rest of first hour, Zim spaced off, stared at Dib, or both. At one point, Dib finally turned to his left to face the taller and ask what he wanted. Zim’s eyes widened a bit, and he awkwardly looked away, unknowing to how much he’d been staring. “I wasn’t looking at you.” Zim said through gritted teeth. It annoyed Zim when he saw Dib shrug and continue to talk.

“I’m Dib, Dib Membrane.” he introduced, holding out his hand towards Zim. He stared down at his hand for a moment before leaving him hanging there. Zim opened his mouth to introduce himself back, but Ms. Bitters called him out for talking during her lecture and a few snickers could be heard around the classroom. Zim exhaled deeply, turning away from Dib who frowned in response.

After being made fun of in front of his class for supposedly talking over Ms. Bitters lecture about inevitable doom, Zim felt a lot less hopeful about today. Sure, it had been different. _Different_ in that more attention had been drawn to him than it had in the past year combined! If he was ever laughed at, it was at least always his fault. "Accidentally" lighting something on fire, poor excuses to get out of class, but today it hadn't been _his_ fault, and it upset him deeply. 

Snapping out of his thoughts when the bell rang, Zim shot up from his seat and shoved passed Dib and the other students, feeling relieved to be going to his next class and away from the new kid. 2nd hour was calculus, a long and tedious class. He knew all of the material thankfully, it just took time to get it all written out and refrain from letting himself space off into his own thoughts. Once again, the bell rang loud and obnoxious, and it was finally time for lunch.

Zim trudged through the halls toward the cafeteria with some difficulty. With so many students headed in the same direction, he was bound to be shoulder-checked and shoved on occasion. He could usually send the perpetrators skittering with a baleful look, so it wasn’t too big a deal. 

At last he reached the cafeteria in all of its filthy, cacophonous glory. Students milled around, finding seats among their little cliques or swarming the lunch ladies to get their daily dose of disgusting cafeteria food. Zim wrinkled his nose at the nauseating smell and marched toward the far corner of the room where a table sat empty. He sat down heavily and plonked the paper bag containing his lunch on the tabletop.

Peering into the bag curiously, he let his disgust fade for a brief moment and felt a smile crack on his lips. Peanut butter and jelly. _Thanks, GIR._ Reaching into the bag, he took out the saran-wrapped sandwich. It probably looked a bit unappetizing to any other person, the peanut butter and jelly making a mess of the bread and a corner of the sandwich smushed thin. To Zim, it was the most perfect sandwich he could get from his robot dog. Zim looked up as he unwrapped the plastic, then felt his smile fade when he saw Dib conversing with some other students some tables ahead of him.

Zim narrowed his eyes and watched the new kid awkwardly attempt to make friends. Whereas he failed with Zim, Dib seemed to be succeeding with his fellow mindless peers. 

Zim took a bite of his disaster of a sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. There was something... off about Dib. Zim just couldn’t put his finger on it. The maroon colored eyes rubbed him weird, surely that wasn’t a normal eye color? Maybe it was a condition. He shrugged to himself and looked away from the new kid. It didn’t matter much, so long as Dib left him alone. Just like everyone else.

As though summoned, not half a minute later, a small shadow fell over Zim’s table. He slowly looked up from his food and saw Dib standing there with a nervous smile. A few beats of silence passed, and neither spoke. Zim raised an eyebrow at Dib.

“You gonna say something, or are you just zoned out, space cadet? I know I’m flawless, but it’s rude to stare.”

Dib shifted awkwardly, “I didn’t catch your name earlier.” Being called space cadet made Dib paranoid, and it showed on his face, but Zim was unsure why.

“Zim.”

Another uncomfortable silence fell over the two, and Zim leaned back on the bench a bit and yawned. He thought the conversation would end there; after all, that’s usually where conversations ended when he met someone new.

“What’s your favorite color?” Dib sputtered, pressing his palms to the table and leaning in slightly.

Zim gave a moment of thought, not totally sure if he heard the other right. _My favorite color?_ It felt like as a kid he’d been waiting for this day, waiting for someone to ask his favorite color so he could talk all about it, but no one had ever asked. No one cared about his favorite color. “I have two favorite colors.” he responded without a second thought, and surprised himself. _Two?_ “Purple and teal.”

Dib found himself slowly sitting down on the opposite side of the table to Zim, sitting formal compared to all the slouching students. Dib nodded, but said nothing, which Zim took as an opportunity to keep talking about the colors more and fill the silence before stuff got awkward again.

“Purple because…” he paused, a thoughtful look on his face. He thought to his bedroom, the purple walls, the purple comforter, purple everything. “I just do. I’ve always liked it. And teal because of my robot dog, GIR.” Zim watched as Dib visibly perked up more, eyes shining.

“Robot dogs exist?” Dib gasped out, a little too enthusiastically and he cursed something that Zim couldn’t understand. Zim quirked a brow, but then slowly nodded and pulled his phone from his pink hoodie pocket. He took a glance at the half eaten pb&j sandwich, then gently pushed it aside with his wrist and then turned his phone towards Dib. “This is GIR, my most magnificent creation to date!” A proud look was plastered on his face.

Dib’s eyes scanned every inch of the screen, trying to take in all of the image and never forget it. He watched as Zim swiped through a few different photos of his mechanical dog, stopping when he came to a full family photo and quickly swiped it away. An unreadable expression crossed Zim’s face, but Dib was too distracted to notice. “You made him? What can he do? He looks incredible.” Dib complimented, trying to keep his composure.

Zim looked eager to talk about his dog, his pride and joy, his good boy. “He _is_ incredible!” Zim grinned wide, striking a proud pose with his hands on his hips. “Of course, that’s because I made him. He’s got...a lot of energy.” He thought of how crazy GIR could be, then cleared his throat. “GIR is capable of a lot, like…” Zim wracked his brain, feeling awkward he couldn’t come up with more than ‘he comforts me’. “Um, he has jets in his paws. And laser eyes.” He felt himself burning up. “He can make food! GIR does basic human things that no inferior mammal could ever.” He nodded his head proudly, smirking.

Dib clasped his hands and grinned at the mention of lasers. “And what are the lasers for?” He appeared less impressed by the food making.

“Just for defense, really.” Well, maybe Zim had asked GIR to destroy something once or twice with his laser capabilities. Dib didn’t need to know that though.

“I see...I’d love to meet him sometime.”

Zim made a disgruntled look at Dib, letting out a laugh. “Yeah, as if.” His mood changed just like a light switch, and Dib looked startled by the sudden shift. “Anyways, what’s that thing on your back?”

Dib stared blankly at Zim for a moment, then became acutely aware of the metal oval on his back. He looked down at his lap. “It’s my-”

_Riiiing!_

Zim looked around as filthy kids swarmed the lunch room once the bell rang. He groaned, then looked back to where Dib had just been sitting. He was gone. Zim furrowed his brows deeply, gazing around in search of that weird cowlick the boy had. He gave up after a few moments, lifting his legs over the bench and making his way through the hundreds of kids that shoved up against him in the halls.

For the rest of the school day, Zim found himself mindlessly finishing school work, only really coming back to reality when he was making his way home after school. Zim hated walking home; it was tiring when his backpack weighed a good 15-20 pounds. The bag was messily crammed full of textbooks, binders, and papers that his teachers claimed were “really important”. 

Zim halted in place at a familiar voice, one foot on the sidewalk and the other just starting to step out onto the street.

“Zim!” 

He felt his stomach drop at the sight of Dib speed-walking towards him from a different street. “Do you live in this neighborhood too? What a coincidence!” He had half a mind to lie, to say he didn’t live around here, but then it occurred to him that would be stupid and only cause more problems.

“Yeah, sure.” Zim said bitterly, hardly bothering to take one earbud out of his ear.

Dib fell into place beside Zim, walking across the street and then stepping back onto more sidewalk ahead of them. “So, I’d really love to meet GIR!” 

“You can’t.” Zim said so quickly that it seemed like a knee jerk reaction.

“Why?”

Zim bit his lip and frantically scoured his brain for a half-decent excuse. “Beeecause...my parents are working… and need silence.”

“Oh, your parents work from home?” Dib questioned. Zim became increasingly overwhelmed.

“Can you leave me alone?” Zim suddenly burst out in a panic. It hadn’t come out angrily, surprisingly, but more desperately. Desperate to listen to his music, desperate to not think about his parents.

“Oh.” Dib said again. He shut up, but didn’t stray from Zim’s side. Presumably, his house was also this direction. It didn’t make sense to split up now, but Zim really wished that he could disappear completely. Having someone who _wanted_ to talk to him felt really uncomfortable and he wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Silence washed over the two, which Zim was fine with because he simply put his earbud back in and cancelled out his surroundings. Dib was left silently to his thoughts. After what felt like an eternity of walking home, Zim bolted for the black metal gate of his house when it came into sight and quickly went in, shutting it behind him. Dib peered back through the bars, looking like a disappointed and betrayed puppy.

“See you tomorrow, Zim.”

Zim overlooked him and his awful puppy-dog face, rushing to the front door and disappearing behind it.


	2. Mixed Signals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim and Dib begin to get closer to one another...or do they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huuuuuge thanks to @EmeraldTooth, @ParadoxImminent, and Myoles for Beta-reading the story, and also helping me out with ideas here and there!! Y'all rock, couldn't be doing this without you <3

“Master!”

Relief washed over Zim when he was greeted with his companion’s tinny voice. “GIR.” He sighed out simply, crouching down on both knees to meet his dog at eye level after slipping his bag off. Zim felt GIR press his heavy metal body to Zim’s chest, tail wagging loudly against the wooden floor. “You won’t believe the day I’ve had,” he began with his eyes shut and arms wrapped around GIR’s shoulders.

Zim explained to GIR how he had a certain feeling that morning, and how that feeling had been spot on. Just as he began talking about the new kid, his sister walked into the foyer and interrupted him rudely. “You didn’t do the dishes this morning like dad asked. Get with it. _Before_ dad gets home and yells at you.” It wasn’t really a suggestion, Zim knew this. She was demanding it for his own sake, but it sure didn’t feel like it.

Hesitantly, Zim scooted GIR away from his chest and stood up from the floor. “Yeah, okay, Tak.” he grunted, brushing past her. She stood with her hands on her hips, lips pursed as she watched him walk by her and passed the dining room with an attitude.

“What’s your deal? I’m helping you, dumbass.”

Zim stopped in the doorway to the kitchen, placing his hand on the wall. “I’m going to do the dishes now, which means you can leave me alone.” he said, not looking over his shoulder. GIR followed close behind Zim. Tak had scoffed, then turned the opposite way of Zim to make her way upstairs. Zim and GIR were left alone once again, but Zim didn’t pick up his story where he’d left off. He opened the dishwasher and began putting clean dishes into the cupboards and drawers, thinking of Dib as he did so. 

The day played back in his head, some parts blurry and hard to remember, and others clear. Like how he’d felt when Dib came to his table. That was Zim’s table, and he dared come over? _Imbecile._ Then he asked about GIR, so interested. Zim remembered the awe on Dib’s face hearing about his creation. Suddenly, Zim stopped mid-walk with a plate in hand. “GIR! You can also do dishes! Duh!” he pressed his hand to his face, scoffing at himself. _How could I forget to tell Dib that he can do dishes?_

GIR had no idea what Zim was talking about, but his tail wagged back and forth anyways. “Like this?” he leaned over the dishwasher and placed his metal jaws around the edge of a plate to hold it up for Zim. A smile broke out on Zim’s face at the sight.

“Just like that.” he agreed, gently patting GIR on the head and taking the plate from him. The two didn’t really say anything more, which was fine to Zim. With his companions help, the task was 2x quicker than it would have been alone. In little time, all the dishes were put away, and the two started to retreat upstairs when the garage door opened. Zim tensed, hand grasping the stair railing. _Just in time._ Zim and GIR darted up the stairs, past the utility room, and into the hallway where Zim’s bedroom was. They both walked in, GIR closing the door behind them with a hind leg. Zim found himself plopped down onto his bed, staring at the comforter of his bed.

“Master, were you going to tell me about Mary?”

“Mary?”

GIR giggled, sitting himself in front of Zim and pressing into his legs. “The new boy!”

“Dib.” Zim corrected, his expression souring. “He’s so annoying, GIR! You should have seen him!” The teen flopped backwards on his bed, legs dangling off the side. He focused on a random spot in the ceiling with his brows deeply furrowed. “His hair is stupid and makes no sense, he appears to have sharpened his teeth, and I hate his outfit! It’s all...edgy.” he let out a frustrated sound, something of a growl.

“Oh, and he tried to come over to our house!” Zim recalled, throwing his hands in the air. “We _just_ met. Plus, I’d never have someone over.” Gir had wiggled his way onto the bed, laying on his stomach next to Zim.

He continued to rant, not realizing up until now just how his entire day had revolved around the new boy. They’d only seen each other 3 times today, but Zim had enough to say that it sounded like they shared all 6 classes together. He found himself out of breath, having talked himself to death. GIR stared blankly at Zim, making it unclear if GIR had actually retained any of the info. Either way, having someone to vent to was kind of relieving. GIR was good to have around.

GIR suddenly ooo’ed at Zim, “You made a frieeennddd!” he exclaimed excitedly, and Zim made a disgusted face in return. He was unaware of his defensiveness.

“I did not! Dib is not my friend! He’s creepy, and I wish he would just shut up! His attempts at small talk are obnoxious and I can barely look at his filthy face!” Zim huffed out loudly, arms crossed on his chest. “He’s more like... an enemy. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to throw my fists in someone’s face for simply existing as much I do now.”

Zim looked over at him, sighing softly. GIR had fallen asleep. Maybe he’d actually listened after all, but if so, it must have taken a lot of his battery to sit through the lecture quietly. Zim shook his head slightly and then looked around his room from where he lay.

Purple.

_Purple because…_ he focused on the walls that curved around his bed, a soothing lilac. _Royalty._ Zim then looked forwards and to his left at the opaque purple curtains. _Powerful._ "It's simply the superior color." he mumbled to himself, lacing his fingers into the faux blanket that lay next to him. It too, was purple.

Zim lifted his legs onto the bed and lay down after spending 3 minutes struggling to untie his pink Converse high tops. He found himself staring at the posters on the wall next to him until his eyes slowly slipped shut, and he drifted away into well-deserved sleep.

  
  


Green eyes slowly opened in a haze, and Zim shifted slightly. He was burning up and felt restrained from having fallen asleep in the days clothing. Zim sat up, tugging the hoodie over his head and placed it in his lap. Reaching a hand down into the pocket of the hoodie, he pulled out his phone and pressed the power button.

"Fuck!" Zim sputtered in a low tone. He'd left his brightness all the way up, rather foolishly. Zim quickly turned it down, squinting harshly the whole time.

1:47 AM

His family had failed to wake him up for dinner. They probably hadn't even noticed his absence. In all honesty, Zim knew that he wouldn't have missed much. His parents had horrible diets, if you could even call it that. Getting the needed nutrients in this household was a challenge. Zim felt his stomach growl quite loudly, almost as if it was listening to his thoughts. He let out a breath of air through his nose and proceeded to close his eyes again, ignoring the rising hunger. Some time later, Zim fell back into sleep.

_You worthless freak! You're good for nothing! Everything is your fault. Waste of space!_

Zim grabbed a fistful of blanket in his sleep, brows scrunched tightly together as he struggled in the dream world.

_We're so disappointed in you, Zim._

Zim jolted awake for the 2nd time that night, this time staring wide eyed up at the ceiling and grasping the sheets tight to ground him from the nightmare. Slowly, his eyes trailed down to the foot of the bed where GIR was charging.

"GIR? Wake up." Zim whispered, and immediately the dog came to life. His eyes glowed bright cyan, and those sharp ears of his standing tall with pep.

The bed had a faint teal glow to it with GIR now awake and fully optimal. Zim sat up, folding his legs criss-cross and then wrapped his arms around the dog's metal frame. He said nothing, just hid behind GIR's shoulder and let hot tears roll down his cheeks. 

GIR understood. This happened more than Zim would ever admit. It was frequent enough that GIR knew right away what was happening, sometimes he could even sense it before Zim woke up from the night terrors.

Slowly, Zim calmed down with GIR's aid. He eventually laid back down with his arms around GIR's cold metal body, finding comfort in the coolness. Zim muttered a thanks to the robot and let his eyes slip shut to try and escape the pounding headache. It took more time than earlier, but he eventually eased off to sleep.

When Zim woke up for the third time, the sun had just begun to peak through the window beside Zim's bed. He squinted, rolled over in bed towards the door, then looked around his room for GIR. He'd left at some point, but Zim wasn't really sure where to. It wasn't unusual that GIR would leave the room or house on his own, but Zim couldn't help but feel anxious whenever his only friend disappeared. Maybe he should put a tracking device on GIR… 

Right then, GIR opened the door on his hind legs. Clamped in his jaws was a wrapped breakfast sandwich, presumably from the gas station. GIR wagged his tail upon seeing Zim sitting up in bed awake. He walked over, and Zim gave him a good pat over the head and then held his hand beneath GIR's mouth to take the food.

"Thanks GIR." Zim croaked groggily. GIR let out something of a bark in response.

The breakfast sandwich had puncture marks through the packaging, but Zim had hardly noticed due to the hunger that suddenly engulfed him. He quickly scarfed down his food, and GIR began going through Zim's closet for today's outfit. Every now and again Zim would let GIR pick; he usually didn't have _that_ atrocious of fashion sense, but sometimes he would pair weird patterns together, or try to get Zim to wear a ridiculous hat and then throw a fit when he refused.

"Oooo, dis one!" GIR giggled. He stood on his hind legs again, then used his muzzle to get a shirt down from the closet. It was a purple button up shirt. In the pocket of the shirt was a cat, looking devious and ready to flip someone off. GIR walked over on his fours, repeatedly tripping on the shirt as it dragged beneath his front paws.

Zim watched GIR stumble around with mild amusement, then took the shirt from GIR. He held it up in front of him, looking it over, “Nermal, huh?” GIR mhm’ed happily, sitting himself beside Zim on the floor. “Works for me.” Zim pulled his t-shirt off over his head, quickly replacing it with the button up and then pulled his pink and green hoodie back over his head. Nice and cozy.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Membrane residence, Dib was walking around his home in agile, planned movements. He was grabbing things here and there, some snacks, something that looked like a walkie-talkie with Irken letters written into it. Dib’s antenna were pinned back sharply, a bothered expression on his face. Behind him, a smaller Irken followed just one step behind him.

“You could be faced with dangers!” A feminine, but fierce voice urged.

“I’m not some smeet, Gaz. I can fend for myself. Humans are relatively docile if you don’t get in their space.” Dib replied quickly, continuing to stuff things into his PAK.

Gaz dashed in front of Dib, forcing eye contact with him. In all her shortness, she puffed up her chest and tried to come off as intimidating and authoritative. “My Taller, you _must_ let me accompany you at the education facilities.” she pressed in a taut tone.

Dib finally stopped walking around, “I’ve told you once, I’ll say it once more. I don’t require you at school.” Dib’s brows furrowed tightly.

The Elite Irken placed her hands to her chest, looking both annoyed and frantic.“Sir, Tallest Miyuki and Tallest Spork specifically assigned me to protect you _and_ the mission!”

“Protect the mission by staying watch at the base.” The conversation was over. Dib, being Taller, and more valuable to the Irken Empire, held more authority over Gaz. 

A moment of silence fell over the two, but tension only grew more. Dib turned away, rolling the sleeve of his black lab coat up to reveal a device, similar to a watch, clasped around his green wrist. A couple button-presses later, and Dib looked like a fully convincing human. He made a bee-line from the living room to the front door.

Behind him, Gaz stood still, glaring at the back of Dib’s skull. “Yes, My Taller.”

Dib swung the front door open and then closed it behind him, leaving Gaz alone to watch the base for him while he was off at school. He stepped evenly down the cul-de-sac, a frustrated glare on his face as he stared down at the sidewalk. About a block later, Dib found himself looking up to the sound of a front door closing. The disguised alien began to approach familiar black metal fencing, about 2 times his height. “Good morning, Zim!” His entire mood seemed to shift.

Zim flinched from the porch, turning away from the rosewood colored door. “...Dib.” he grumbled, hand remaining on the door knob as if he might step right back into his house.

“What a coincidence!” Dib grasped the bars with his 3 fingered hands.

All Zim could do was groan and approach the gate from the opposite side of Dib.

“Not a morning person.” Dib acknowledged, pursing his lips awkwardly.

“We’re not friends.” Zim said, placing his earbuds messily into his ears and pressing play on his phone.

Dib blinked innocently, craning his neck to look up at the taller. “We could be.”

“Absolutely not.”

“You should open up.” Dib sighed, hot breath appearing in front of his face in the cool air. _What the-?_ He stared in front of him, distractedly.

Zim’s face twisted angrily at Dib’s response, but nothing came from him. Dib had no other comments to make, and fell into a semi-familiar silence.

On the walk to school, Dib took note of various things. The way the houses on some streets were all completely different shapes and sizes, colors and ages. Other streets newer houses, but completely identical. It was really bizarre to the little alien. He reached overhead to grab leaves of red and yellows when the branches hung low enough, inspecting the veins of each one quietly, feeling them between his fingertips. 

Dib remembered vaguely researching this process. Something about chlorophyll breaking down as the days get colder and shorter. He tried to contain his awe, finding this to be the first time he’d thought to take a closer look.

“Isn’t the weather spectacular?” Dib remarked, cradling his pile of leaves with a smile.

“If you’re immune to the cold, sure.” Zim scoffed, light from his phone illuminating his face. 

Dib grunted in frustration, kicking a pebble on the sidewalk. _Ungrateful little worm. It’s like you’ve never been to Irk._ Irk was cold, purely metal, and covered in buildings so tall that sometimes the sky was blocked out. He would never complain out loud, but Irk was far harsher than this planet had proved to be since his arrival a few days ago.

Dib opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly shot down by Zim before he could even make a sound. “Do you ever shut up?”

Balling his fists up and then releasing them, Dib let another sigh out. “Tell me about GIR.”

Silent. Absolutely, completely, silent. Maybe a leaf crunch now and again. _What on Irk?_ It went on like this for at least a minute; Dib kept watch on his internal clock.

“What do you want to know about him?” Zim finally responded, slowly pulling the earbud closest to Dib from his ear.

Dib held back a large grin. He’d won. “What’s his purpose?”

Zim slipped his phone into his pocket, observing the sky above him for once in his life. It was a pale blue, darker blue clouds dusting various places in the sky. Dib followed Zim’s gaze, observing as the sun peeked out from behind houses and trees.

“He’s supposed to help. It’s what he does best.” Zim loosened up a bit, shoulders lowering as he hunched.

“How so?” Dib asked eagerly, pondering ways GIR could be of help to the Irken Armada.

“GIR did the dishes with me yesterday.” Zim said, then hummed. _He’s hiding something._

“And?” Dib pried.

“You have waaay too many questions.” he complained, looking agitated once more. Dib expected the silence that followed.

The two soon arrived to the school campus, and then to class. Students were sluggishly finding their seats. A girl with 3 purple pig tails walked passed Dib’s desk, giving him a small smile. He returned the smile kindly, remembering her from yesterday’s lunch. _Gretchen, was it…?_

Tuesday was uneventful for the most part. Dib asked questions in all of his classes, sometimes ones he already knew the answer to, just to come off as “normal”. Truth was, asking questions was pretty far from normal. Most students slacked off and did diddly squat, but this at least earned Dib the trust of his teachers. More people to gather info from.

Dib spoke to more students at lunch, observing the different behaviors of his peers. Lots of slouching, he’d noticed. Most teens seemed stressed, or completely care free with no in between. So far, the only promising person seemed to be Gretchen, but Dib couldn’t help feeling more interested in talking with Zim. It had been made clear that Zim didn’t feel the same way about him, though. He had to change that!

“Hey, I gotta get going for now, but I’ll speak with you later.” Dib looked over his shoulder, in the general direction of Zim’s outcasted table.

“O-oh, yeah, sure!” Gretchen said awkwardly, waving her hand slightly in front of her. She blinked, and Dib was already gone, weaving through the tables that were mashed way too close to each other- and that was considering Dib was way smaller than the average person!

“Zim, hey!” Dib waved at Zim from a few tables away, trying his best to come off as friendly. Zim made no efforts to look up from his food. Approaching the table, Dib leaned over the bench and rocked slightly on his heels when Zim continued to blatantly ignore him. “Ooookay.” Dib muttered, glancing around and clearing his throat. He slowly took a seat across from Zim, who refused to say anything, or even look in Dib’s direction for the entirety of lunch.

On Wednesday-what an odd name for a day-, Dib took a seat once again at Zim’s table after he spent some time with Gretchen. He was treated like a ghost, which frustrated Dib endlessly. Zim left him all alone once the bell wrung.

Thursday, things changed. Zim was clearly expecting Dib to appear at any moment, to be leaning over with his weird hands pressed to the edge of the table and rocking lightly. Before Dib could even lay a finger on the table top, Zim smashed the side of his fists into the table, glaring straight ahead at Dib.

“I don’t get it, why do you keep coming back?” Zim snapped, squinting.

Dib looked startled, and unusually at a loss for words. He kept his talkative mouth shut, for once.

“ _Well?”_

“I…” Dib began slowly. “I think you’re…” _What was it that Gretchen had said?_ “Nifty.” he finally said, taking a step closer towards the table. “Worthy of friendship.”

“Uuurgh! I hate you!” Zim shouted, now standing up with the back of his calves pressed to the edge of the bench. Nearby students glanced over their shoulders at the scene, exchanging shifty glances with one another.

“But _why_!?” Dib struggled to keep his frustration locked away.

“It’s none of your business!” Zim spat back, standing up on the bench and towering even more over Dib. The smaller gulped, feeling helpless knowing that he couldn’t use his PAK legs without giving away his true form. Zim suddenly swung down at Dib’s face, and he was sent flying to the floor, landing flat on his ass.

Dib heard gasps and shouting around him, but all he could focus on was the hatred in Zim’s eyes. What on Irk had he done to tick Zim off so much? Sure, he talked a lot, but wasn’t this a bit much? Zim was approaching Dib now, walking across the table top and jumping off of it.

“Fight, fight, fight!” Students jeered loudly. 

Dib saw another punch coming at him, this time more blurry than before.

“Zim!”

“Gretch-” the punch met the other side of his face and he curled in on himself. It wasn’t so much painful as it was humiliating. To be beaten up like this... he was an Irken! Dib may not have had Elite training like Gaz, but he was more than capable of defending himself when it didn’t risk the mission.

__

Dib glared daggers at Zim, sitting up on his elbows only slightly when Gretchen intervened. He reached beside him for his glasses, only just noticing they’d been sent flying, too. Gretchen shoved her hands messily into Zim’s chest, to which he stumbled backwards a few feet. “Leave Dib alone!” she yelled. It wasn’t a good look for her, usually so calm and nervous. Dib looked her over. She was shaking. He pulled himself up with relative ease, walking closer to Gretchen and placing a hand on her shoulder. Dib heard some booing, causing fire to burn in his belly. If only he could show these hopeless teens a _battle._

“Gretchen, it’s okay. You don’t have to-”

“What’s going on here?” a voice shouted through the crowd, shoving passed all the students that circled around the three.

Dib, Zim, and Gretchen had all been dragged off to the front office by a lunch lady. She looked nervous, tiny, and uncomfortable. Dib felt a mild guilt for Gretchen being dragged into the mess, but was mostly just filled with anger at Zim. What was going to happen now?

The lunch lady dropped the trio off at the office, explaining that Dib needed to see the nurse, and that Zim and Gretchen needed to be talked with. Behind the secretary’s desk were 3 doors, the very left was the principal, another the teacher’s lounge, and the farthest to the right was the nurse’s office. Dib and Gretchen made eye contact for a few moments before parting ways.

Dib sat through his little checkup with the nurse, who seemed way too friendly. Friendlier than even Dib was. She gave him two ice packs, one for each side of his face. Dib accepted them, despite knowing he was more than okay and would be completely healed up within about an hour. Zim had hardly made a mark on him. 

The nurse let him go after keeping watch for awhile, and right as Dib was walking out of the nurse’s office, he saw Zim looking mortified, two much taller figures on both sides of him. One clad in a deep purple suit with coattails, and the other in a black suit and red vest.

“ _We're so disappointed in you, Zim.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 and the boys are already in a cat fight, yikes! Zim is in some deep trouble now.
> 
> Thanks for your patience everyone!! I was struggling to get past the first few pages for awhile but then today I suddenly had a flood of ideas and just wrote for like 4 hours haha!
> 
> If you'd like to see more concept art and info about characters, please checkout my Instagram (@galaxy.cuup), or any of the other social medias in my bio! Been doing a bunch of art for the AU but I can't properly include it all into these chapters. :'0
> 
> I have so much in store for this fic, thank you to EVERYONE who has been supporting my work! I got such a positive response to this AU and it's been really hard to put it out there 'cause I'm a bit insecure, but it's getting easier. <3
> 
> -Rhi


	3. Behind Closed Doors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dib has secret intentions, and isn't all he appears to be on a normal school day, while Zim's home life is revealed and he's faced with a cluster of confusing emotions, in which he has to sort out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW, long time no update, huh? I actually had this chapter typed up by like, January? But I just never fully edited it until now. Somewhat lost interest in this project despite it being well planned, but I'm hoping to find more motivation to work on it again. This chapter is longer than the others, I hope it makes up for the absence! 
> 
> PLEASE BE WANRED, this chapter contains violence and physical abuse! I've had it in the tags for awhile now, but just wanted to make it clear! Hope you enjoy, and reminder that feedback is appreciated! :D
> 
> (Also, just wanna say that while I read over this I realized my writing style has changed and improved a bit over the months! So hopefully future chapters are better!!)

Dib had walked home alone that evening.

It felt weird to only have himself to talk with, but he couldn't bear to see Zim's face. Not right now; Zim had attacked him, rather inexplicably. Dib puffed up his chest and then exhaled it back out into the cold, bitter air.

The leaves didn't seem as pretty as they were this morning. In fact, nothing seemed as pretty; the sky was overcast with clouds, there was a chilly breeze, and all Dib could think about was Zim.

Dib stopped walking as he saw metal bars in his peripherals. He'd done that every day of the week so far, but without Zim beside him, he had no reason to. So why did he?

He looked up, past the bars. The lawn looked frail and close to frosting over, the house was a dark, warm brown and all the windows were accompanied by curtains to keep whatever happened inside a mystery to the outside.

Face twisted in curiosity and frustration, (but mostly the latter) Dib continued to walk down the street and towards his well-disguised base.

"He's hiding something." Dib mumbled, pressing one fist into the palm of his other hand. "I know it."

Dib walked up his sloped driveway, looking at the house from the bottom up. It was a desaturated cherry color with few windows. The roof looked normal for the most part, although there was a subtle line on the gable where it could split open and allow a ship to pass through.

He paused at the front door, unlocking it by pressing one hand to an invisible sensor pad. It clicked twice, then Dib proceeded in and locked the door behind him.

"My Taller." Gaz greeted him at an instant, saluting to him with a wiggle of her antennae. This was routine for a shorter Irken like herself

Dib nodded in her direction, but said nothing. Next she was going to ask…

"Have you gotten any more research?"

Letting out a sigh, Dib walked through the living room and into the kitchen. "I have a lead, as you know."

" _ Have you gotten any more research? _ " Gaz pressed, following close behind and already looking irritated with Dib.

"I was able to gather a little, but it's all nonsense! I know Zim is hiding something more!" Dib blurted out. Gaz stopped a few steps behind Dib and squinted her raspberry colored eyes.

"My Taller, what happened today?" She asked once he was silent. 

Dib looked down at her with hesitance, unsure if it was wise to share what happened.  _ 'Oh, yeah, I got beat up by the person I'm trying to gather info from, and I was rendered completely helpless because I was in front of hundreds of humans' _ ? That sounded awful; she'd be furious.

Dib told her anyways.

"The 2nd human meal of the day, lunch I believe they call it, I walked over to Zim's eating area as I always do. He tends to ignore me, but today he didn't." Dib tapped his watch a couple of times, and a moment later his human disguise fizzled out to reveal his Irken self. He wore a dark gray button-up tail coat with short, pointed sleeves. Beneath was a light, cool gray turtleneck, the sleeves striped similarly to an Invader’s uniform. The leggings he wore were black and flexible with built in shoes.

Dib continued to rant about his day, getting lost in it and forgetting he was talking to Gaz and not only himself.

"What I presume was his parental units arrived at the school, and that brat looked...he looked like a scared little smeet. Unusual for him." Dib trailed off, then noticed Gaz's furious face glaring up at him.

"This is what I've been talking about, I knew you'd get hurt! You can't be risking the mission like that! What would Spork think? What would  _ Miyuki _ think?" Her curled antennae were pressed to the back of her skull with hostility. "Computer, open transmission with the Almighty Tallest." she commanded on whim.

"Opening transmission with Almighty Tallest." the computer spoke in a feminine, stern voice.

"No, wait!" Dib yelped, watching from the kitchen as the large TV screen in the living room began to dial their leader. Gaz had already moved to stand perfectly centered in front of the screen, not a step too far right nor left.

Dib ran over to her, letting out a terse hiss. "What're you doing?!" His head suddenly shot up and away from Gaz when he heard a beep sound that suggested the transmission had been answered.

"Dib, Gaz." Miyuki greeted. She was a 6’5” tall Irken with blue eyes and long lashes. Her attire was a bit over the top, but not at all unusual for her. She wore a puffy, blue shawl (made of Lupivous furs from the planet Lupus A) that dragged on the floor from where she stood, and her antennae were covered in delicately placed chains and jewels. Beside Miyuki was Tallest Spork, standing at 6’1”. His eyes were green, round and squinty, and his outfit was more practical for battle and had fewer jewels compared to Miyuki. "Good news, I hope?"

Dib winced, but Gaz's stern look didn't falter. "I’m afraid not, my Tallest."

Spork furrowed his non-existent brows, while Miyuki quirked hers with interest. "Go on."

"Forgive me for even asking this my Tallest, but will you please tell Dib I need to escort him on his missions outside our base?" she glared over at him sharply. "Today he was involved in a battle with a human, we can't risk losing him."

"A  _ battle _ ? How do the humans stand up against him?" she asked, a little too enthusiastically. Spork scoffed, pressing 2 long fingers to his forehead in mild disbelief at her excitement.

"Um." Gaz blinked, thrown off guard and a bit stunned at the unexpected response.

"I didn't battle him, my Tallest. It would have blown my cover. That's not to say that I couldn't easily tear him limb from limb had we been alone, though." Dib looked proud, albeit disappointed.

"Bummer." Miyuki let out a hum, holding her hips with her hands.

"I think we should still be concerned about Dib's safety," Spork pointed out, a weary look on his face. "He is rendered helpless when surrounded by the local aliens. Gaz, you're to guard him at all times. Don't blow the mission, but keep our Dib safe."

Dib gawked at the screen while Gaz fought off a triumphant smirk. "Of course, my Tallest."

"I don't require her company!" Dib shot back, holding his hands out in front of him in disbelief.

Miyuki looked patiently at Dib through the screen. "That’s an order."

He scrunched his face up, struggling to comply. "...Yes, my Tallest." Dib sighed, letting his hands fall back to his sides in defeat. 

"I guess there is some good news." Gaz remarked, closing her purple eyes for a few moments. "The human-smeet who fought Dib today is suspected to have some access to human weaponry."

_ Suspected? Does she not believe me? _

Dib had half a mind to not reach out and strangle Gaz right there and then.

"He  _ does  _ have access to human weaponry." He corrected with frustration. "Zim is smart enough to know how to assemble a robot with laser eyes and rocket launchers, so I get a sense he's a reliable source for my research." 

"Interesting." Miyuki's lips spread into a large, toothy grin. "Explain your current plans."

Dib didn't give it a second thought, eagerly delving into his plot. "Humans appear to be very emotionally vulnerable, from what I've gathered. My human is hard to get info from, but I believe if I fake companionship with him, info will become easier to receive." This was a plot Gaz had heard over and over, and she felt it unnecessarily, if not a little unIrken of Dib. Any other Irken would just scare the info out of Zim, but Dib thought Zim the type to not budge.  _ Clearly _ , this just wasn't something Gaz could understand.

"It will take time," Dib continued, pacing around the living room of his base in thought, "but I believe it will be worth it. In the meantime, I'll pull research from as many other sources as possible!"

"Spectacular!" cheered Miyuki, her large eyes practically sparkling. Spork looked a little more skeptical.

"Couldn't you just trap the human and force info out of it? It would be quicker." Spork asked.

Gaz mumbled something in agreement, but Dib ignored it. "Oh no no, my Tallest. Humans are...ehhh...my human wouldn't respond to a fear tactic."

"Excellent work, my little scientist." Miyuki praised. "Report soon, and any major weapon information is to be reported to Professor Enarb immediately."

"Gaz, keep Dib safe." Reminded Spork tensely.

Gaz saluted. "Signing off, my Tallests."

The screen went black, and Dib was already fleeing back into the kitchen and down to the labs. Gaz watched him go, sighing softly and shaking her head. She'd leave him be for now.

\------

  
  


Just down the street, in a questionably heavy-guarded house, Zim sat alone at the dining room table. Well, mostly alone; GIR was on the floor asleep beside his chair while the car ride home from school played back in his mind.

  
  


_ "You'd better be downstairs once we get back from work. 5 pm sharp." Red had warned. _

_ "Yeah! We'll decide what to do with you then." Purple sneered. Zim simply nodded from the back seat. _

_ "Don't ignore us." Red said after a moment of silence. _

_ "I hear you." Zim responded bitterly, leaning on the car door and holding his chin is the palm of his hand. _

_ They had pulled their black 2020 Chevy Blazer into the driveway, and then into the garage. Zim had quickly bolted out of the car as soon as Red parked and immediately went inside without looking back. His dads were gone just as soon as they'd arrived. _

Jolting from his thoughts, Zim looked up when he saw two tall figures looming in the doorway of the dining room. When had they gotten home, and how had he not noticed?

Red slid his jacket off and placed it on the back of one of the chairs before taking a seat. "So, who'd you fight?" He asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Purple took a seat next to Red, directly across from their son.

"Uh...one of my classmates." Zim anxiously grasped the sides of his seat as he spoke, hating this conversation starter.

Purple rested his head in his hand, looking smug. "Sounds like you did him in good enough to send him to the nurse, huh?"

Zim awkwardly shifted in his seat, feeling like he was suffocating under the tension between him and his parents. He wanted to get up and run straight out the front door, run wherever he could. Confrontation with his parents scared him- his  _ parents  _ scared him. Zim subtly nudged GIR's side with his heel, waking him up.

"We've noticed your grades are dipping, too. How on Earth will you succeed us when you're such a failure?" Purple droned, drumming his fingers on his cheek with a now-bored look.

"We ought to punish you for slacking off." Red threatened, sitting tall in his seat. "Teach you a lesson for making a fool of yourself and our family name."

Zim's skin crawled and his entire body told him to run, heart practically thumping out of his chest. He knew that it would only make matters worse.

Red scooted his chair back and effortlessly strode over to the opposite side of the table where Zim sat. GIR backed up out of the way with his tail between his legs, knowing full well that there was nothing to be done. As a puppy, GIR had attacked Red in Zim’s defense and found that it only earned him more pain than when he hadn’t tried to help. That was when Zim had reprogrammed GIR to be guiltless.

Red yanked Zim to his feet by the collar of his shirt, then roughly pinned him to the wall. His large, tanned hands pressed hard around Zim's neck. Zim winced sharply, but his hands remained in fists at his sides. He was defenseless.

"You make us look bad." Red spat.

Purple sat at the table still, arms folded neatly over each other as he watched from afar. "You're a waste of space, Zim! You know that?"

Tears gripped for dear life at the corners of Zim's eyes while he struggled to get air to his lungs. He let out a strained sound, reaching up his hands to grasp at Red's fingers while his fear-filled eyes met with Red's fiery ones.

Zim felt Red's free hand taking his wrists and tightly jamming them up against the cold wall. The tears began rolling down his cheeks in a flood, choking out a sob at the shooting pain in his wrist.

From over his father's left shoulder, he could see Purple smirking as he watched Red do the dirty work. Down and to the right, GIR was pressed to the floor, looking apologetically up at Zim, exhaling with a tinny whimper.

Red was saying something now, pressing harder on Zim's windpipe. He couldn't seem to process or hear it, ears ringing and panic growing stronger as darkness pinched at his peripherals. He stared up helplessly, trying to focus his eyes on the curly red hair atop his dad’s head, anything to keep himself conscious.

Suddenly, Zim was released, and he collapsed down onto the floor seconds later. His hand dragged along the back of the chair as he went down, the sharp corner leaving a gash in his palm. He was curled into a ball now, choking on sobs and trying desperately to breathe in air. As a final parting gift, Red gave Zim a hard kick to the ribs and then retreated upstairs with Purple.

Zim lay with his forehead to the wooden flooring, grossly crying into it. GIR rushed over as soon as Red and Purple were gone, trying desperately to assess Zim's wounds but also finding himself conflicted, unsure if he should prioritize comfort or getting Zim help.

"GIR…" Zim started, straining. "Vital mode."

"Yes, sir!" The usually turquoise eyes and joints on GIR's body went a bright red and his body language shifted to a more serious one. The robot was more sure of his actions, nudging Zim's limbs and face as his x-ray vision scanned for wounds. "Two significant injuries found. Vocal cords have been bruised, and right palm is cut." He abruptly left the dining room without another word, presumably to find medical supplies for his owner.

Zim rolled from his left side and onto his back, breathing hard still. He shut his eyes tightly when dizziness overcame him, only opening them again once he felt more grounded. Weakly reaching his left hand above his face, Zim observed the gash. A decent amount of blood was dripping from it, and out of morbid curiosity Zim flexed his fingers only to immediately wince with a sharp gasp.

Everything ached, he had snot running down his nose to his lips, his hand was bleeding, he could hardly speak, and then there was GIR, oh, so helpful GIR in the heat of it all. He rushed over, a dripping wet washcloth clamped in his teeth. The robot laid the cloth onto Zim's hand and pressed gently with his snout, watching Zim as he winced from the pressure. "Master, you'll need to rinse the cut once you're capable of standing."

Zim silently nodded, letting his eyes slip shut as GIR tended to him wherever he could. Sure, his little sidekick couldn't do  _ everything _ for him, but he did enough to get him stable and ready to walk again. The wooden floor was beginning to hurt Zim's shoulder blades and tailbone, so he slowly sat himself up against the wall.

"Passive mode." Zim rasped, and GIR went back to the usual turquoise. "...Thanks."

"I'm sorry mastah!" GIR whined. If he could cry, he would be. Zim placed his good hand on GIR’s head comfortingly. Just as the robot was getting comfortable, Zim slowly stood up. He felt vulnerable and uncomfortable being out in the open like this and thought he'd be okay to move around now. 

Zim left the dining room with GIR in tow, taking a right around the doorway and then a left shortly after. They entered the downstairs bathroom, Zim closing and locking the door behind them. He walked up to the sink and turned the knob for cold water, then held his wounded hand underneath it. He bit down hard on his lip at the painful sensation, forcing himself to wash it with soap. The entire process stung a lot, but once it was done and over with Zim felt relieved.

"Gauze, GIR?" Zim croaked. His friend let out an enthusiastic squee, then the door to his stomach cavity opened up with a loud clang as it hit the tile floor. A messy roll of gauze dropped out on the floor and conveniently rolled towards Zim.

He reached down and picked the roll up, carefully beginning to wrap his hand. He silently hoped that it would heal up some by Monday; teachers were relentless and didn't care what state of injury you were in unless you had a doctor's note. Basically, he would have no choice but to try and keep up in class.

Zim stared up at himself in the mirror. His neck was still red and he was dreading the bruise it was going to leave. He leaned in slightly and traced his fingers over some nail marks he hadn't even noticed before; it looked like if Red had dug any deeper, the skin would've broken. Zim sighed deeply, then began to pick and scrub at the dried tears on his cheeks with his nails. He looked like a hot mess.

"GIR." Zim turned and patted his legs for him to follow along. He opened the bathroom door back up and began to walk out when he heard a scraping metal sound behind him. Zim paused and looked over his shoulder, finding GIR staring down between his front paws. 

"Oooops, I forgot to close my belly!" he giggled, then kicked it upwards with a hind paw. The panel closed with a satisfying click sound. His tail wagged as he looked up at Zim, who was giving him a weak smile. 

_ GIR is a good boy. _

Turning his back to GIR, Zim walked to the right and headed back down the hallway. From there he took another right and went up the stairs to his room. 

Most of Zim's weekend was spent holed up in his bedroom doing homework, depression napping, or talking with GIR. Sometimes it was nice to just lay down and have a meaningless conversation with his dog, even if his throat hated him for it.

For some reason though, GIR insisted on talking about Dib. Maybe it was because Zim had never come home to rant about somebody for 20 minutes straight before, or maybe it was because he wanted Zim to make a friend, who knows. He never said anything about the fight until Sunday night.

"Mastah?"

"What is it?" Zim leaned back in his chair slightly, looking over his right shoulder to his bed across the room where GIR laid.

"Why did yous get in a fight with Mary?"

He looked at GIR for a long moment before turning back around and folding his arms over the white desk. A long silence fell over the room before Zim finally answered. "I don't know."

More silence.

"Are you scared?"

Zim's eyes widened suddenly, then he swirled around in his chair and squinted at GIR. "Scared? Of what?"

"Mary jus wants ta be your friend." GIR tilted his head.

"I…" Zim shifted uncomfortably, hands fumbling with the bottom hem of his shirt. "I can't."

"Whhhhyyyyyyy?" the robot whined, resting his head sadly on his paws, metal brows curled upwards.

He rested his forearm on the back of his chair and scrunched his face up. "GIR...I just...what if I hurt him? I don't want to get close to someone because I'm…" Zim rasped, averting his eyes away from GIR in realization and embarrassment. "I'm scared."

"Give hims a chance." he suggested gently.

"I'll only get hurt. Friendship is way too vulnerable." Zim said stubbornly.

"Do you like our friendship?"

"What?"

"Yous feel safe with me." GIR stated.

"...Yeah? I do. You're my best friend."

GIR made the most exasperated expression his metal features could. "You could feel safe with Mary!"

"Oh… I- what?" Zim stared wildly at GIR. "No. No no." He felt anxiety building in his gut, but couldn't pin down why.

"Why?"

"Uuurghh!!" Zim groaned in frustration. "This conversation is over now!" he quickly turned his chair back towards his laptop and furiously typed away at a PowerPoint for his Earth Science class. Now and again he'd pause to gently rub at the healing gash in his hand as an attempt to soothe the pain and distract his mind.

Zim worked late into the night, being a master procrastinator and all. By 12:03 AM he was crawling into bed with a big yawn. GIR looked at him with intent, wide, glowing eyes.

"Are yous gonna talk to Mary tomorrow?"

"His name is Dib." Zim grunted, kicking his bare legs underneath the blankets and tugging them up over his arms. "Why should I?"

"He wus being nice and you hurt him. You should fix it!"

Zim scoffed and glared lightly at GIR. He hated to argue with his one and only friend over some stupid boy. "Yeah, watch me mess it up again. I just want him to stay away…" He hid his face in the comfort of his pillows, sighing deeply. "I don't know GIR. I'm too exhausted to talk about this anymore."

With that, the conversation was over and Zim was trying to get at least 6 hours of sleep. Just his luck though, insomnia plagued him for about an hour and then once he'd finally fallen asleep, nightmares haunted him and woke him repeatedly. None of the dreams were particularly horrible tonight, thankfully, but still enough to rattle Zim for a few minutes before he could get back to sleep.

When Zim awoke, his room was lit rather brightly. Outside his window it was cold and overcast, the sun just barely peeking through the clouds. The boy groggily sat up in bed, blinking and rubbing at his eyes a few times before he grabbed his phone. He unlocked it and swiped away a few notifications before suddenly noticing the time. He hadn't, in fact, woken up before his alarm like he'd thought.

"I overslept!" Zim gasped and coughed immediately after, shooting out of his blankets and stumbling over to the closet beside his bed. While Zim hurriedly picked out an outfit for the day, GIR opened the bedroom door with a plate of food rested on the flat of his back.

"I maaade WAFFLES!" GIR exclaimed, kicking the door shut behind him and watching as Zim hopped on one foot while struggling to pull his skinny jeans on.

"No time!"

"Awww, yous late?" GIR asked, tail drooping sadly.

"Very! I have to be at school in 15 minutes!"

"Okiee." GIR agreed, then shoved the pile of waffles into his mouth messily. The syrup made a mess of his mouth and messed up the screws and gears in his jaw.

"GIR!" Zim gawked, gripping at the hair atop his head. "How many times have I told you not to eat syrup? I don't have time to clean you until after school!"

"Ooops, hehe!"

Sighing deeply, Zim snatched his bag from where it leaned on the leg of his desk and made a bolt for the door, leaving without so much as a goodbye. He stumbled down the stairs, then caught sight of Tak standing in the kitchen in front of the open fridge. He bit his inner lip, brows furrowed.

"Tak…" he began, standing stiff and awkward. "Would you-"

"You're late and want me to drive you to school." She interrupted, looking up past the fridge and around the doorway.

"...Yeah."

Tak quirked a brow at him. "You'll owe me."

"I know."

Zim was more thankful for Tak saving his ass than he'd ever let her be aware of. Being late wouldn't be such a huge problem if he hadn't already gotten 6 tardy slips this trimester. There was  _ no _ way he would let himself get the 7th and final tardy; he couldn't be subjected to daily detention until the end of November.

The two got into Tak's black 2018 Chevy Malibu in a rush. Tak recalled the days of high school where she had to run the entire way to school, and how miserable that could be. She couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Zim running late.

"Thanks for-"

"Save it." Tak interrupted once again, pressing the power button on the car and pulling out of the driveway once it was in reverse. The car Bluetooth automatically connected to her phone, and "Your Love (Déjà Vu)” by Glass Animals started playing. She cracked a smile, turned it up to 35, and then sped down the street.

Zim looked out the side window blankly, lost in thought. He couldn't help but feel a bit thankful that he was running late. It put a lot of pressure on him for sure, but the thought of having to see Dib on the way to school felt like it might almost be worse than having detention the rest of the trimester. He still had a lot of thinking to do.

_ Do I even want to talk to Dib again?  _

_ GIR wants me to talk to Dib. _

_ What am I supposed to say? _

_ ‘Sorry for punching you twice, I'm terrified of having a relationship even just slightly more intimate than strangers’? _

Zim scoffed slightly at his thoughts, but it was blocked out by the loud music. 

Part of him felt like Dib didn't even deserve an apology. He was annoying and pushy and asked too many questions, but…the other part of Zim felt like Dib could be a decent friend and did deserve an apology. After all, Dib was one of the only things that Zim could think about in recent times. He was the most interesting thing that had happened in seemingly forever, albeit obnoxious.

Zim remembered GIR's words from the night before.  _ "He wus being nice and you hurt him. You should fix it!" _

_ All he's done is be nice to me. _

Suddenly, Zim found himself sitting in the chair of his first hour class. He blinked a couple of times and realized he didn't even remember getting to school or leaving Tak's car. Zim looked to his right and saw Dib sitting there, and suddenly he felt his body go cold. Dib was staring down at his notebook writing something, though class hadn't even started yet.

Zim opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out so he quickly turned back to the front of the class and pretended he'd never done that in the first place. His leg bounced up and down repeatedly, announcing his anxiety.

Dib turned to face Zim, pencil hovering over his book. "Please stop your leg jumping."

Zim blinked back at him, dumbfounded. "Leg...jumping?" he echoed, then realized what he meant. "Oh." Zim felt his face go hot with embarrassment as he tried to bottle up the anxiety. It only got worse, though. Dib sounded unhappy. Maybe he was just focusing? He couldn't be sure, but not knowing made him feel worse.  _ Why the Hell do I care? _

Ms. Bitters snaked inhumanely into the classroom, stopping in front of her desk. "Class, sit down and shut your mouths for the next hour." she hissed.

Zim could hardly listen or sit still during class. He pulled his sleeves down more and the neck on his turtleneck up self consciously, then began to doodle things in his notebook to try and distract his mind. Zim couldn't help but draw Dib's stupid scythe hair, then quickly tore the page out and crumpled it up noisily.

Class ended after what felt like an eternity. Zim stuffed his notebook into his bag sloppily and then quickly stood up, turning to face Dib's desk. "Hey, Dib," Zim started, but trailed off when he looked over to see that Dib was already halfway to the door of the class with Gretchen beside him. Crestfallen and alone, Zim watched as he disappeared out the doorway and into the disgusting sea of kids. He stood frozen for a moment longer before leaving as well, trudging to the next class.

"There's nothing new about being alone." he muttered to himself.

"This is normal."

“So why do I feel so...betrayed?”

Zim hadn't even noticed that he was talking to himself, but lucky for him the halls were too loud for anyone to actually hear him or care.

As usual, he arrived at his next class and floated on through the day. He tried not to worry too much about his grades, which only resulted in him worrying about them. It wasn't that he didn't know it, he just would get distracted while working, or accidentally turn work in just a little too late due to procrastination. He could tell that his teachers pitied him for having a smart brain but not utilizing it properly, or at least what they considered properly. 

The bell rang again, and as Zim stood up and began to walk towards the door, he heard his teacher trying to get his attention.

She was short and round, kind of reminding Zim  of a Matryoshka doll. "Yes Ms. Albert?" He slung his bag over his shoulder with a slouch.

"I just wanted to check on you. I've noticed you're turning in work later and later recently."

Zim clenched his jaw tight and averted his eyes. "I'm fine. I'm just...distracted."

Ms. Albert looked unconvinced. "If you ever need help with anything, just ask."

She certainly was Zim's nicest teacher, but even so he found himself struggling to be nice back and not get defensive on her.

"I don't need help." he puffed, then walked out without saying bye. Zim glared at his shoes as he walked, kind of just wanting to scream. All these stupid emotions and none of them made sense. He weaved through the hallways and to the cafeteria, bumping into a few people and shooting them fiery looks on the way. 

Finding his usual seat, Zim sat down and drummed his fingers on the table top as he stared across the room at Dib, who was now sitting with Gretchen and talking over food. He felt envious, maybe even jealous. He scrunched his face up for a moment before remembering the conversation with GIR last night.

Maybe he should try to talk to Dib, apologize even...the tension was killing Zim. It was like, before the fight Dib was just annoying, but somehow in a good way? He made for unusual but good company. Zim would never admit it, but the past few days had been lonely without him. He sighed deeply and stood up from his table, walking over to Dib's table.

Every step closer made his heart beat quicker. Zim stopped a couple feet from the table, watching as Gretchen's friendly expression turned to disgust as she caught sight of Zim from the opposite side of the table. Dib noticed her expression, turning around in his seat to see Zim standing uncomfortably and looking smaller than usual.

Zim opened his mouth to speak, but his voice crumbled and nothing came out.

"Yes?" Dib blinked, quirking a brow at him.

"The other day-" Zim started, forcing himself to hold eye contact with Dib, "I shouldn't...have done that." He paused, struggling to put thoughts into words. "I shouldn't have punched you. You've...been nice to me. Nicer than anyone ever has."

Behind Dib, Gretchen was giving a suspicious look like she didn't believe Zim. Why should she? Dib looked less annoyed and more surprised now, brows raised slightly at Zim, although he said nothing.

"I'm … I'm sorry." Zim bit his cheek anxiously, watching as the shorter stood up in his seat and stepped out of the bench.

Dib was silent for a moment, searching Zim's features and then smiling toothily at him. "All is forgiven, Zim!" he held his hand out in front of him. Zim looked down at the hand, then back up at Dib.

"Wait, really?" he asked.

Dib nodded, and Gretchen looked hesitant behind him.

Slowly, Zim reached out and formally shook Dib's hand as if he might be pulling a trick. Dib just continued to smile up at the taller, releasing their hands after a moment and inviting Zim to sit at their table. He hesitantly took a seat beside Dib, and for the rest of lunch he joined Dib and Gretchen’s conversations when he had input, maybe even laughing a little bit at one point.

_ This was...nice. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takeaway from this chapter is that Tak religiously listens to Glass Animals. *finger guns*


End file.
